Delhi offers free bus transport for women

Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal, has launched free travel with Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and Cluster buses for female passengers. Women can use pink tickets in DTC and Cluster buses being run across the state.

There are around 3,700 DTC buses and 1,800 buses under the cluster scheme of the Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System (DIMTS).

The scheme aims to improve the safety of women in Delhi, but also accelerate the role of women in Delhi’s economy with many women currently being paid less than men, working unpaid labour and travelling long distances to work. The Delhi government has also deployed marshals on buses to further improve safety on public transport.

The free travel scheme is also planned to be implemented on the Delhi Metro Rail network with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said to be currently working on its deployment.

Kejriwal has travelled on DTC buses in order to get feedback from female passengers after launching the scheme. The women commuters reportedly welcomed the initiative of the Delhi government, and ridership is predicted to increase.

Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot posted an official statement confirming this via Twitter, saying that the launch was a “historic day for Delhi”.